1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to interconnecting support structures. More particularly, it relates to a rectangular interlock that is inexpensive to manufacture and is easy to install
2. Description of the Prior Art
The invention has been devised in particular, though not necessarily solely, for piling applications. A pile is a structural element usually driven vertically into the ground to meet a structural or environmental need. For example, piles are used to form retaining walls in various applications, including but not limited to foundation excavations, waterfront seawalls, and cofferdams.
The primary function of a sheet pile is to withstand bending. Therefore, piles can take many forms, including but not limited to a pipe, beam, angle, C-channel, T-shape, Z-shape, flat sheet, and bent sheet. Often a series of piles are interconnected to meet the necessary structural or environmental need. These interconnected piles are often preferable to alternative forms of retaining wall, which include contiguous bore piles, soldier or driven bore piles, and diaphragm walls. Use of connected pile systems limits the extent of excavation associated with the alternative systems and significantly reduces material costs.
Sheet piles have many applications, but perhaps the most common is for creating cofferdams, support of excavations, and water cut off walls. Regardless of the pile section, or how it is formed (cold formed, hot forged, extruded, etc.), the piles require an interlock to interconnect a series of piles together to form a piling assembly or system.
Typically, pile interlocks include a socket formed in one end of a pile and a plug formed in the opposite end of the pile, or alternatively, two interlocking hooks on either end of a pile. This arrangement enables the facile end-to-end interlocking of sheet piles. A number of different pile interlocks have been manufactured to serve as sockets and plugs, however, the existing interlocks are complex, expensive to produce, restricted to a limited number of attachment points, and some are unable to create a watertight seal. Currently, interlocks are hot rolled or cold rolled directly from the ends of the sheet piles. Hot rolling interlocks from the ends of a sheet pile is an extremely expensive and difficult process. Cold rolling is less expensive and less difficult, but produces less precise interlocks that typically fail to provide a watertight interlock.
Accordingly, what is needed is a more efficient, effective, and less expensive interlock design and method of attachment. However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how the shortcomings of the prior art could be overcome.
All referenced publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein, is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.
In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.